Game Of Thieves
by The Howling Alchemist
Summary: There are many demons told of in books. Demons with fangs and horns and tails and wings. But what about demons with mirrors? Demons with Shinigami friends? Demons, who aren't really demons.
1. The Girl With The Red Ring

A girl wandered to the sinister shop of the Undertaker. The girl was wearing blue jeans and a black shirt, both of which hung too loosely over her little, skin and bones, pale frame. This earned her suspicious stares and whispers among the crowds going about their own business. Some suspected she was an Undertaker's apprentice, since her pale skin was almost the same as the Undertaker of the town.

She was of average height for a fifteen year old girl of that age, but her hair was odd. It was shoulder length and cut inconsistently. Oddly enough, it was dark blonde with brown coming from the roots. Her eyes were an alarming grey with black patterns. Like the Undertaker, her fingernails were long and sharp, but seemed to grow unevenly. She was wearing the boots of a soldier. A grin was ever present on her sharply defined face, and just the corner of a fang-like tooth poked out from beneath her top lip on the left side. On the ring finger of her left hand was a ring with a red gem and black spider webs crisscrossing through it.

Boldly, she pushed open the stained glass door to the shop. An evil cackle erupted and echoed through the room, making her smile a little wider. A coffin scraped just slightly, and her head pinpointed the sound in seconds with deadly accuracy.

"Welcome to my humble shop~ Have you come to find your peace in one of my lovingly crafted coffins?"

She copied the cackle, making the shop's owner smile even wider. Cooly, she replied,

"Later. For now, I have come to your door on a mission. I have even brought the proper payment."

A black package was sat down and Undertaker, having no idea what it was, came closer, his head to one side. She knelt before the item, which sat on an unfinished coffin, and opened the hard black box with a little sound. Her fingers flew across a black pad with small letters and numbers inscribed upon it. As her fingers touched different letters and numbers, he could hear little tapping sounds and words began to appear on the bright white window-like screen. Some of the words she typed were funny, and she began to choose some. It only took moments for movement to appear on the screen.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Undertaker and the girl were on the ground, area around their eyes red from wiping away salty tears of laughter. Undertaker put his hand on the coffin and pushed himself back to his feet.

"Ah yes, that payment is indeed fair~ Now, what can I do for you m'dear? And might you grace my humble self with your name?"

He offered her his hand, which she took. He helped her to stand up and proceeded to turn her hand around to kill the red ring on her finger. She smiled.

"My full name is Inu no Taisho but you can just call me Inu. I have come looking for someone to aid in my travel to the land of the Death Gods. And you, Undertaker, are just the one to help me."

Inu obviously knew more than she was telling him, and although his mind swam with questions, he was more curious about what she, a human obviously not from this time, could want from the Shinigami. He shook the questions from him mind, figuring he'd know sooner or later, let go of her hand and walked to a coffin propped up in the corner. He opened the lid opposite of how a coffin would normally be opened, and inside was a swirling green and white portal in the shape of a coffin. Inu smiled at Undertaker and took his hat. She put it on, tipped it to him, returned it, and leapt into the portal.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Inu snuck around, looking for William while being careful to avoiding everyone else. She found him, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance, while walking all alone down a long hallway. From the shadows, Inu crept into position, and jumped at him, screaming,

"SNEAK ATTACK!"

He got ready to use his Death Scythe, assuming it was Grell, but when he saw a human instead, he stopped. If he used it, the human would die, and reaping a soul not on the collection list could get him into a lot of trouble. So, he just stood there as he was tackled by the intruder and his glasses were stolen. Inu mocked him and made a run for it, hoping to avoid his Death Scythe. William began to fumble in his pockets for his spare glasses or his contact lenses for just such emergencies, but instead he cut his finger on broken glass and found a smashed contact container. He growled, then stumbled away to the higher-ups to beg for a spare pair of glasses.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It took two hours for Mr. Spears to explain everything and beg the higher-ups and get a pair of glasses, and when he finally got them, he saw all the damage he'd done trying to get around. His heart was crushed.

Three hundred Cinematic Records were destroyed, others were close, shelves were knocked over, paint was clawed off the walls, there were holes in the walls were he thought he saw a blur that looked like his aggressor and swung, and many Shinigami were injured. The higher-ups were NOT happy, and he was assigned TONS of overtime, on top of his regular work. As well as that, he couldn't leave the office till it ALL was done, AND he still had to eat, sleep, and probably take care of the Shinigami he injured and fix the walls he broke.

He walked down the corridor, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He needed something to eat. He'd been working since noon till now non stop, and he was only one-sixteenth of the way done with the overtime.

He opened the break room fridge and was met with the familiar sight of the soda's marked "Dave". He considered reaching for one, but pulled back, closed his eyes, and adjusted his spare glasses with his Death Scythe, murmuring,

"No, remember what Sutcliff learned; Dave's soda's are marked Dave for a reason. If you take Dave's sodas and your name is not Dave, but you pretend your name USED TO be Dave, you will be smacked,"

He adjusted his glasses again.

"by Dave."

Instead, a container of chocolate pudding marked with a card labeled "William T. Spears" caught his eye. He'd always had a love for chocolate, but he hid it. He reached for it and read the card.

William, I am sorry for the trouble I caused. I am gone from the Dispatch now, but I left you this chocolate pudding. It's not much, but I know you like pudding.-Inu 

He took a spoon and tried some. It was like heaven with a flavorful taste that spread through his mouth, however he kept his calm, icy exterior. He ate it at a steady pace, until on the last spoonful, he spit something smooth out into his hand; his glasses lenses, licked clean. Next, he tasted paper, and spit out a long paper scrap.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I LIED! Indeed, I AM gone, but not without a little parting gift. I have dismantled your glasses into two screws, two legs, the frame, and the lenses. You have found one of the lens, and there's a screw in the pudding as well. Not in this bite of course. Undertaker helped me. Have fun with that.-Inu

He put gloved fingertips to his throat and swallowed nervously.

"...I may need a hospital..."


	2. The Girl With The Mirror

After William, um, passed, erm, that screw, he went to Undertaker's to try to find the rest of his glasses. Of course, he was NOT funny, and so he hung Undertaker upside down by his ankles. Since Undertaker's into that crazy shit, he was laughing away. He spluttered,

"Okay, okay, one of the portals she used is in that coffin over there."

He gestured to a coffin sitting upright in the corner. He pushed his glasses up a bit and, growling under his breath, stalked over to the coffin and opened it. Inside there was a green and white portal shaped perfectly like the coffin. The portal called to him, pulled him forth, but he refused to give in. He was calm on the outside, but in the inside, he was freaking the hell out. He simply walked forward, and at his touch, disappeared. Undertaker was still laughing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Will traveled to the European Shinigami Dispatch. The ESD, or European Shinigami Dispatch, oversaw every Dispatch in Europe. It was extremely

important, and Will figured that if Inu was anywhere, she was here.

He walked up to the receptionist who was reviewing stacks of paper work, beginning politely,

"Hello. I am Dispatch Manager William T. Spears from the London Dispatch. We had a bit of trouble with a human infiltrating the Dispatch. She stole, dismantled, and hid my glasses. Have you seen any human come through here?"

The receptionist didn't look up, simply continued her work and replied,

"No, a human has not come here Mr. Spears. However, if you were CARELESS enough to let your glasses get stolen AND dismantled by a human, maybe the higher-ups should reconsider their decision of you being a Dispatch Manager."

He flinched. This Dispatch had the final say in who managed the different Dispatches. If they decided to, they could demote Will, or COMPLETELY revoke him of the privilege of being a Shinigami. Why that had not yet happened to Grell was the eighth Wonder of the World.

A familiar redhead's voice brought him out of his thoughts,

"GET HER! RUN FASTER RONNIE!"

Gasping with effort, a voice replied,

"I'M, TRYING, SENPAI! QUIT DRAGGING, YOUR FEET!"

Inu was running through the halls, Grell's glasses perched on her nose. Behind her, Ronald was practically dragging Grell, who was leaning heavily on the younger's left side. As Inu ran, her left combat boot hit against her right one, sending her off-balance.

"Hey is the ground getting closer? Oh look! The ground needs a hug!"

She fell. Ronald cried out in triumph and rose Grell's chainsaw, which he held in his right hand. Will barely knew what he was doing as he screeched,

"REAPER KNOX! FREEZE!"

Ronald obeyed at once, both his and Grell's heads turning on a dime to see their superior running over. Inu took advantage of this moment of distraction and pushed herself back to her feet. She began running again, calling back,

"NOW I'M RUNNING DOWN THE STREET! YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME! AHAHAHAHA!"

A portal was opened, and Inu jumped through. The portal closed immediately after her. William ran to Grell and Ronald.

"Are you two okay?! Sutcliff, here, put these on."

Grell was given a relatively plain pair of glasses, and Grell opened his mouth to rant, but William's voice said sharply,

"Shut up! Now, you two, you'll be coming with me to catch her. I need her to give me the locations of my glasses pieces, and Sutcliffe needs to regain his glasses."

Grell's mouth opened again at "his", but with a sharp look, he snatched Grell's chainsaw, and smacked him on the head with it. Then adjusted his glasses.

"Now let's go."

A portal to Undertaker's was opened, and they strode through.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Undertaker was upside down again. He was dressed in a fancy white suit with a black rose and was drinking tea without spilling it. Inu sat at a table beneath him, wearing a long black dress with skulls on it. Her black hair was pulled back into a braid. She was drinking tea three Shinigami burst in. Will was furious. He rushed to Inu's side, picking her up off the chair by the collar of her dress. She merely smiled.

"Ah, William T. Spears and company! You realize, had you knocked, called, or rung the doorbell I would have gladly let you in."

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"Well,"

He was holding Undertaker's suit collar and Inu had one foot resting in the loop of rope tied around the rafters. She held onto the rope and swung back and forth. Will dropped the grinning elder, glaring. Ronald ran his fingers through his two-toned hair, asking,

"How did you do that?"

She smiled.

"I dunno."

William barked,

"WHERE ARE MY GLASSES?!"

"Still dunno. You see, I have already sent your glasses back to my time, for I am-"

Grell interrupted,

"MY FATHER?!"

She glared, jumped, and came crashing down on Grell, slamming him face first through the tile.

"Okay, you are an idiot, for a number of reasons. As I was saying, I am a time traveler. I took your glasses and sent them back to my world...and then buried them."

They all just looked at her. Inu raised her chin slightly, smiling.

"Well, I should really be going, demons can get hard to handle if they're left on their own for too long. I have too many demons to feed and too little souls to feed them. Hey! Maybe you'll meet some of them!"

She smiled. William's anger and resentment just grew, however, Inu didn't seem to care. She merely turned on her heel and walked to a cracked vanity mirror she'd put on Undertaker's wall, gingerly laying her hand upon the cool surface. She looked back at the Shinigami one more time, smiled, and then was gone.


	3. Silence

A Trancy manor window was smashed to pieces. William was grumbling and examining the pieces while Claude continued to work in the kitchen, glaring at the batter he was mixing. If looks could kill...

Meanwhile, Alois was up in the water closet with Inu, pouring holy water onto her arms, which were covered in cuts from breaking the window. She laughed,

"I'm really sorry about your window. I didn't know what else to do."

Alois was in a good mood. He rarely got visitors. Especially ones as mentally challenged as him!

"It's fine. Claude will take care of that. Why are you running from that guy, anyway?"

"Oh, he wants to kill me with fire."

"...Oh!"

He shook the glass bottle angrily as the holy water ran out. Inu stood, rubbing her stinging arms, thanking the Earl again,

"Well Earl of Trancy, I thank you for your kindness, but I really must be escaping."

She turned to unlock a window, when Alois exclaimed,

"Wait!"

He caught Inu's shoulder. In turn, Inu swung around creepily to address him,

"Yessssssss?"

"You seem fun. Where do you live?"

"I'm from the future!"

"...YOU'RE FUN! I'm Alois! I'm a pretty big deal! Claude's my butler. He's not a big deal."

"Well big deal, tell not a big deal I'm sorry about the window. Thanks for your help. I have people to annoy and fun people to plan to annoy aforementioned people with."

She waved and perched on the window sill, when Alois caught her shoulder again,

"Wait! I wanna come with you! You seem like you'd like having fun, no matter the costs!"

"Well that's true, but I tend to have fun unusual ways. LIKE WITH VIOLENCE!"

She pulled Alois on to the window with her. Happy, he exclaimed,

"Then we'll get along great!"

"Okay let's go! I have one more team member we need to pick up before we go off to annoy the Shinigami!"

"Shinigami?"

"I'll explain on the road."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Three people sat in Undertaker's shop. Undertaker, who was still upside down, wore a white suit and red dress shirt, gloves, and black shoes. His hair was pulled back, but his bangs still covered his eyes. Alois was dressed as a demon lord, and Inu wore a long black dress with lacey skulls. All three were drinking tea. Sophisticatedly, Inu asked,

"Sir Undertaker, Sir Alois, what shall we do today to annoy Lady-I mean Sir William?"

Alois and Undertaker sipped their tea. Undertaker spoke regally,

"I am not sure myself my Lady, however, I must ask, if I may, why is it, that every time you come over, we're drinking tea, dressed to the nines with clothes that are neither mine nor yours, and I'm upside down?"

The group stopped for a while and the wind blew through. Inu completely abandoned my fancy ways,

"...I dunno! That shit's weird!"

Undertaker continued to muse,

"And how can I drink tea upside down without spilling it?"

Inu looked at Alois who took a sip of his tea, replying simply,

"Black Magic. Lady Inu, would you please cut him down?"

"It would be my pleasure."

She stood, sauser in hand. With merely a flick of the wrist, it flew at the rope on Undertaker's ankle, slicing it. Undertaker fell with a startled exclamation. Inu sat back down. Alois suggested,

"I have an idea. Undertaker, you said there was a whole world of Shinigami, yes?"

Undertaker had pulled up a chair and was sitting at the table, elbows on the table, fingers laced together, and chin resting upon the bridge made my his fingers. He replied,

"Indeed. My Lord, are you thinking...?"

"I am indeed. Undertaker, Inu, prepare yourselves. It is time for war."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Dispatch was under attack. Shinigami were falling like leaves in the fall. William had fled to hide in a tiny closet.

...Why did I hide here...?

He began carefully climbing out, making sure he was alone, and not making a sound. A voice whispered,

"I'm right behind you Steve..."

Will screamed and jumped.

Inu was standing in the silent Library, grinning. William's face suddenly contorted into a mask of rage. All his pent up frustration at Inu and Grell was breaking free. He shot his Scythe at Inu, who dodged, and began running towards a shelf. She leapt atop it, running.

"You'll never catch me William! Ah Hahaha AHH!"

The Scythe flew over her head, missing by a hair. It did smash a large stained glass window. Inu's boots screeched to a stop and she jumped around.

Will was standing a Scythe's reach away, growling. Had he not been so mad, he wouldn't have missed. For a while, the two stood there in silence until Inu exclaimed in horror,

"You have smashed the window of transparency!"

He roared, at his wit's end, and shot the blade through Inu's chest, straight and true. It seemed like time stopped around the two. Inu was frozen, her face a mask of fear and shock, before she threw up a mouth full of blood. Mercilessly, William wrenched his soiled Scythe from her chest, polishing the blade, uncaring as Inu crumpled onto the bookshelf, laying in a puddle of blood. Weakly, she croaked,

"Well...this hurts."

He looked triumphant and walked over, planting his foot on her chest. There was a crack, and the amulet that allowed time travel cracked under his weight. He still announced,

"I HAVE WON!"

Inu questioned weakly,

"But at a great cost. I am dying. I was not scheduled to die today, and you know it. None of the Shinigami are hurt. It was all a trick. No one is hurt. Except me."

He paled as he saw the full extent of the damage. Records were stained and destroyed, walls were one the verge of collapse, and Inu laid there, under his foot, eyes becoming paler and paler as the seconds ticked one. He cried out, and his cry signaled Undertaker and Alois, who leapt atop the bookshelf too.

Both stood there, frozen, unable to look away from their friend. Undertaker called out weakly,

"Inu?"

Her eyes seemed to return a little, and she rolled over heavily, looking at her friends, smiling. William backed away as Undertaker and Alois ran up. Both fell to their knees, sitting on their knees. Undertaker gingerly pulled Inu's body towards him until her head rested on his lap. She let out a sigh, a little more comfortable now. Undertaker, being an Undertaker, didn't know why, but this bothered him extremely. He began softly stroking her hair. Inu closed her eyes, flinching away from the man's touch, before relaxing into it. Briefly, the three realized the only hand extended to Inu was probably a hand that hurt her. She didn't mean to act like this. She just didn't know how else to act. Violence had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. Inu spoke weakly,

"I climbed up that book case, I'd lived all these centuries, neck deep in vanities, and my immortal mask now fades my ending grace. I'd lived alone in a golden cage. Sometimes...Sometimes, we just want to play..."

William felt a pang of guilt. Inu tilted her head back to look at Undertaker.

"But, when I thought, my life needs to be over, I found, love. A flower started to bloom. My chapter started anew. It was my greatest moment in life..."

Silence.

All three leaned forward, ears straining, to hear the rattling of Inu's ribs as she breathed. The rattling was quieting. Getting slower, and shorter. There was more time in between each breath. A small smile grew on Inu's face and her eyes closed. Her ribs rattled once, more, and then...

Silence.


	4. We've Come To Kick Ass!

Inu was buried by moonlight. Undertaker followed exact specifications given to him by Karmadella.

Karmadella was Inu's friend who'd come through the mirror. She was Inu's same height and wore the exact opposite of Inu's clothes. She wore black jeans and a blue shirt that caused storm clouds to roll in. Her skin was sun-kissed and her bones sharp and angular. Like Inu, she was thin, and wore boots, but hunting boots, not a soldier's combat boots. Karmadella had brown eyes and long brown hair pulled back with a blue hair tie. A purple bag from the future laid beside her foot as she stood and gazed at the grave of her friend.

Karmadella was standing beneath a Vulture Tree. Vulture Trees were dead, gnarled, white trees vultures perched in. The tree was in Undertaker's personal graveyard where he buried his favorite bodies. Undertaker had left the grave yesterday, but Karmadella just stood there, staring at the ground.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, Undertaker was in his quiet little shop, working on new bodies and humming a morbid little tune and swaying in time to his own little song. It was a peaceful morning, until...

"OH YEAH!"

The door burst open and in jumped the Kool-Aid mascot with a red head. Undertaker whipped around, eyes wide beneath his bangs. He spat,

"YOU!"

The mascot gave him two thumbs up. Both began circling each other. The Kool-Aid man growled,

"You thought you could get rid of me, didn't you?"

"I thought setting bears on someone who smells of sugar would get rid of anyone. Why are you here?"

"I have come to take back who you stole from me!"

"And what did I steal from you?"

"One of my giant ice cubes!"

Undertaker stopped in his tracks.

"Seriously? That was like, eighty years ago. It would've melted by now!"

The mascot roared and lunged at Undertaker, tackling the man to the ground. Undertaker bunched his feet beneath himself and kicked upwards, sending the aggravating bowl head off of him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed within the green storm clouds rolling in. The wind howled and moaned through the empty grave yard. One lone figure braved the wind. A girl in a red hooded robe who was sitting crosslegged beneath a Vulture Tree. She and the tree were surrounded by candles whose flames did not flicker even the slightest in the howling wind. Propped against the Vulture Tree was an old photo taken of Undertaker and Inu, before...

Karmadella put her hands out, the backs of her hands resting on her crossed knees. She tilted her head back, eyes at half-mast,

"Ghosty!"

Karmadella cracked her eyes open and glanced around.

"If I may call you that, come back to me~"

Thunder growled louder and the trees and grave stones groaned. Upside down crosses glowed on Karmadella's palms. Corresponding ones began to glow on the ground where Inu was buried.

The ground howled and erupted in a beam of red light.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Get out of here, you dome head!"

"Necrophiliac!"

Two figures leapt off the walls, clashing in mid-air in a flurry of ice cube nunchucks and a skeletal Scythe. However, the Kool-Aid man, outweighing Undertaker by a few hundred pounds, crushed Undertaker to the ground and wrenched the Scythe from the other's grasp.

"Good bye, partner!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Karmadella had jump back when the ground erupted. A figure came floating from the ground. A figure bathed in red with their head down and a hole in their clothes. Inu's clothes. Inu's form.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Undertaker lost the battle with his ex-partner, his shop was beginning to fall apart. He was panting, and unable to get a kill blow in. He needed a distraction, but Inu was dead and Karmadella was...well, he didn't know where.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The wind howled and screamed and the candles blew out. The trees screamed and the hole in the ground closed, taking with it the red light. When it cleared, Inu was standing there, the picture in her hand, and the hole in her chest rapidly closing. Karmadella smiled, and the girls hugged. Karmadella greeted her friend happily,

"Well Inu, how was being dead?"

"I was bored to death. Stupid pun intended."

"Hey, did you hear what is happening to Undertaker?! He's fighting his old partner!"

"Wow! You miss so much when you're dead for a day and a half! Wait, you, didn't even give me a chance to guess."

"Oh well."

"How's Undertaker's fight going?"

She pulled out a crystle looking ball and gazed deep within it.

"Ah! He's losing."

"..."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Undertaker was backing into a corner, his Scythe in the hand of the crazy red-headed one over him. He looked furiously for a way out of this, but found none. His old partner raised Undertaker's Scythe.

"Say goodbye!"

The door to Undertaker's shop was kicked down, which created just the distraction Undertaker needed. Quickly, the man jumped to the rafters, calling,

"Karmadella! Inu! What are you doing here?! How are you here?!"

Inu announced,

"We've come to kick ass!"

Karmadella added,

"And to eat cookies!"

"But we're all out of cookies!"

Using the girl's as a distraction, Undertaker jumped at the Kool-Aid Man ripping his Scythe back. With one swift, decisive motion, he swung his Scythe across the Kool-Aid Man's face, causing a deep cut in the glass man's face. He let out a wail and fell back, his glass head breaking. Undertaker stood between the man and the girls, his Scythe held firmly in his hands. He eyed the blade, which was covered in a dripping red liquid that was thinner than blood. Undertaker bent his Scythe down to lick the red stuff, tasting it. He announced,

"This is...amazing!"

The Kool-Aid Man, whose face was on a melting ice cube, gave his final advice,

"Yes, but, don't...drink from your head...in public...People...find it...odd…"

With that, he melted. Inu and Karmadella crouched in the puddle, cupped their hands, and gathered the liquid. They tasted it hesitantly, and words of approval rang through the shop.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

That night, all of the red liquid on the ground was swallowed before Undertaker gave Karmadella a coffin for the night and retired to his own. It was late in the night, almost midnight, and not a creature was stirring. Except for a mouse. Coffins were closed and the shop's door was wide open. Only one window was open, and in it laid Inu, gazing at the moon. Beside her was the mirror she'd come and gone through, but she paid it no mind. She merely laid in the window and thought about her time being dead. She let out a sigh, and rolled over in the window to sleep in the moon light. A single red feather with a black flame design floated off the window to rest on the floor.


	5. Friends With Benefits

Inu awoke later than the other two. Undertaker was already awake, and Karmadella was eating bone cookies and staring out the window as if it was TV. Inu rolled off the window sill, cracking her joints. Undertaker was upon her in a second, tucking the feather that had laid on the ground into her hair. She smiled. Undertaker shot her a knowing smile, but said nothing, an unspoken agreement passing between the two. Inu nudged past him and to Karmadella. She reached out for a bone cookie, but Karmadella hissed at her.

"Oh, Inu, you're awake."

She passed Inu a bone cookie. Inu chewed it thoughtfully. Karmadella asked,

"What you thinking?"

"I'm...thinking that...I am bored."

"Well, what do you want to do?"  
"Something...fun. Something, to William T. Spears. After all. He killed me."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was going to ask you."

She thought for a minute.

"I think...we should...freeze William in a pond."

"Pray Tell, how?"

"With a pond, you, me, William, and three hundred pounds of dry ice!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"B-But!"

"No buts! Now get your butt in the water!"

Karmadella was pulling on William's arm. The two were standing on the edges of a small stagnant pond in a forest. William was trying his best to avoid getting wet. Karmadella sighed.

"C'mon William. I want to go swimming, and I need someone to spot me in case I get into trouble. I know you can't swim, but Inu could. The least you can do is learn to swim in case I need you. Inu could have done it, but you DID kill my best friend."

William felt bad. He began shedding his suit into his underclothes, and the worn under clothes he wore even under those. In those holed clothes, he reluctantly allowed Karmadella to settle him into the water. He hissed slightly, struggling a bit. Karmadella calmed him down easily. Slowly, she began leading him across the water, to the other edge, and back. Slowly, William grew more confident, and soon, he could swim without Karmadella. William continued growing stronger as he swam, and Karmadella pushed herself onto the bank, standing there. William swam a few more laps before asking,

"Karmadella, why aren't you swimming?"

"Because, you put my best friend on ice. Now, I am going to do the same to you! Now!"

William heard a clattering tumble and looked up.

Inu was perched in a tree above him and was holding an overturned bucket. Steaming ice rained down around William, and he did his best to avoid it. The water began getting so cold it was hot, and William screamed, floundering to the bank. He barely got his fingertips to the bank, before he was frozen in the water. Inu dropped from the tree, slipping slightly. Karmadella skated towards her friend. William's eyes were wide as Inu said,

"You thought you could get rid of me that easily? Oh, such a shame you can't~ I am your greatest fear, and you know it. You'll never get me, William. Because I have friends with benefits. And I have minions who will kill for me. Steal back my freedom, set me free."

Inu set her arm on Karmadella's shoulder.

"This is Karmadella. She's a friend. A best friend. And she does have her benefits."

The friends smiled. All around the two's feet, fell more red feathers with black flames.


	6. He Must Honor The Code

Inu and Undertaker walked around a new house. It was full of cobwebs and covered furniture, but Inu seemed to like it. It was creepy and had been abandoned because its former Earl was killed by a demon drooling acid that was eventually sealed in the cellar…Wimp...

Anyway, it was at the end of a long abandon bramble path leading to a house at the top of a hill. It was called "The House of Myth", and Inu had every intention to move in. Undertaker was a bit disappointed she'd decided to move out, because he thought that meant Inu was growing up. That she didn't need her Shinigami caretaker anymore. Which was true. With her fixer-upper house of her own, Inu was more independent now, but with independence, came maturity, and with maturity, came fear. Undertaker's fear, that he hid well, that she would stop terrorizing William, and so stop seeing Undertaker. Maybe even forever. Maybe, Inu would decide Undertaker was weird, like all the others did. That she'd leave, and never come back.

Anyway, again, of course, Undertaker would never say that, so he didn't say anything as he stood beside Inu on the black tile and looked around the large room. It was only first room, and it had no halls branching off, but about four large, double oak doors. One was just the front door, one led to the kitchen, one to a long hall that had the master bedroom, master bathroom, etc., and the other one led to all the guest rooms, bathrooms, and such. The room they were in was black tile and the walls were varying, blending, flowing shades of red, and red swirled with black. There was a candelabra on each side of all four doors, and a huge chandelier that lit up the room in the dark of night. Right now, it might as well have been night, because the silvery silk curtains were closed, blocking out the sun. There were a few pieces of furniture but they were covered by a white cloth. There were dusty tables and two or three old radios. It was nice to any morbid lover like Inu or Undertaker. Because of that, this place was perfect. Inu turned to Undertaker,

"Well my old friend, looks like this is goodbye for a while."

"Oh~? Is that so~?"

He sounded a bit disappointed, but if Inu noticed, she didn't say anything, and instead just looked around the new house.

"Hey, do you hear that Undertaker?"

They stopped. There was harsh panting and light growling, and the sound of drops of something hitting the floor. Slowly, they turned, and standing there, panting, was a demon. A demon that was about six feet tall with messed up black hair a bit like Claude's, his eyes were shining a demonic pink, and his fingernails were pointed and black. He wore worn black boots, leather pants, and a ripped up white shirt that looked to have once been an undershirt. His face was handsome, like if Sebastian raped William and they had a son, and that son hooked up with Claude, then they had a daughter, and that daughter married Sebastian and they had a son, but now that son was an adult, growling, had black claws, was drooling acid that was eating away at the tile and grouting, and had horns. And, of course, was a demon.

Inu and Undertaker backed up slowly, and the demon came closer. Its claws began glowing, and it raised its arm to strike, when,

"Were-dog, KICK!"

A flying paw-like foot came out of nowhere and kicked the angry demon in the face. The demon stumbled back with a roar of pain and fury. The attacker landed between the pair and the demon.

A five foot five inches slightly muscular were dog with tan fur on her body, and then lighter tan fur on the tip of her fluffy, fox-like tail where a fox would normally have white. Unlike a fox's tail, this tail was two and a half fee long. The same lighter fur was also on her muzzle and on her hand-like paws. They worked like hands, but had the form, shape, and appearance of paws. Her hind paws, especially. Her front paws looked the most like hands, as they had thumbs. Her eyes were a brilliant amber, and she wore a purple cap backwards.

She was the attacker, and now turned to the shocked creatures behind her to give a two fingered salute.

"Hello and welcome to my home~ May I take your order~?"

Undertaker was laughing, and Inu rummaged around through her pockets, and then Undertaker's pockets, and finally pulled the deed from her own pants. Really. Her pants. Not pockets.

Although the house was unoccupied, Inu still had to have something to show she owned it legally.

"I got this place legally. And you are?"

"Fang Faith~ I'm a were-dog and live here with Sylvester."

"The demon?"

"Yes, the demon. Don't mind him. He's just hungry."

"So...I can make a contract with him?"

"Yes, but he'll eat your soul."

"Well I already know that."

"Then yes. But first, before he can do anything, he needs fed. EAT THIS SYLVESTER!"

She picked up a large hunk of the wall that sat on the floor and threw it at the angry, disoriented demon.

"Now, let's get you settled in, shall we~?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

William had fallen asleep at his desk, since he got little to no sleep at night. He'd just fallen asleep in seconds. But his dreams were not pleasant.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

William walked into his apartment and sighed, dropping his things by the door. He turned and suddenly, he was in a bedroom that was not his. The walls were black and the carpet a soft red. The large room had a canopy king-sized bed, a nightstand beside it, a wardrobe on the eastern wall, and the door on the southern wall. Candles were in holders mounted into the walls and there were two large windows on either side of the bed with open orange drapes. The bed had a golden spread, and all of the furniture, including the bed's canopy, was made of white birch wood. The door was a chestnut brown with a shining diamond doorknob.

Inu sat on the bed, looking at Will with a familiar grin. Undertaker was standing near the window on the left, which was farthest from Will, twirling in a pink princess dress and a bonnet. Grell, dressed in football pads, his face and hands dirty, slept on the bed on the side farthest from Inu. He was cuddling a football. Inu glared at Will.

"William! I gave you my orders! Why do you not follow them?!"

He looked down.

William noticed for the first time he was wearing a butler's suit like Sebastian's. He looked back up, and suddenly, Inu was huge, and she was looking down at him. Something warm sloshed around his waist, and he looked down again.

He was standing in soup and was like three inches tall. There were dozens of tiny hims. Inu laughed, and raised the bowl to her lips to begin to drink the soup. Tiny Will screamed,

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Lastly, the world was a balloon. Inu's hand clawed hand came out and poked the balloon. The world went POP.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

William laid on a coffin. He'd just finished recounting his odd dream to to Undertaker, who was dressed in a suit with his hair tied in a ponytail at his chin, making him appear to have a beard. Undertaker's legs were crossed gracefully as he sat on the coffin, writing down the last few details in a book. He cleared his throat and took off his glasses.

"Well, Mr. Spears, we have a term for your condition, and this is the professional term...Crazy."

"..."

The younger sat up and whacked Undertaker on the head then pushed his glasses up. He got up and growled,

"Ridiculous."

He left and slammed the door. Undertaker wrote down another note, muttering,

"Patient shows anger when joked with."

He reviewed his note book and nodded, then broke out laughing, falling off the coffin, his paper flying into the air. On the pad was a really good drawing of Will in a coconut bra and grass skirt. He was licking a pineapple.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

William, crazed from lack of sleep and no food, and a new found fear of soup, stumbled through the halls of the Library, lost and confused. Inu, Sylvester, and Fang Faith were also in the Library, practicing making paper airplanes out of paper from the Records like Imu had taught them. Sylvester was good at that. They were laughing and playing, even Sylvester seemed to be having a good time. That is, until Will found us.

The swaying, half dead for a second time, Shinigami tried to focus on them. They'd frozen, eyes locked on the Shinigami. He simply rubbed his eyes, tired and broken.

"You know, I don't care."

He walked over to them and they scrambled back, fearing he was extremely angry. Instead, before Inu's "throne" of ripped Records, his legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees, head down. He muttered,

"Just run me through with your sword, Inu. You win."

Inu saw the tiredness in his eyes and so rubbed her demon sword, the sheath of which she kept hidden down one pant leg, and Sylvester and Fang Faith growled, smelling his broken spirit. Inu showed concern, so she got up to kneel by him and make him meet her eyes.

"Will! Will, look at me! What are you talking about?! I'm not going to kill you!"

"Why not?"

His voice was tired and dead.

"Because! Dammit Will! What's going on?! You'd never do this if you were right in your head!"

Fang Faith ripped the sword from Inu's pants and smacked Will on the head with it. She screamed, lifting Will off the ground and shaking him by his shoulders,

"WHERE DID YOU HIDE WILL YOU IMPOSTER?!"

He just went limp with a sigh. Fang Faith dropped him and he just crumpled on the ground, eyes staring at nothing. Inu sat by the Shinigami, stroking his hair, actually showing concern for once. She sighed.

"Oh Will...What have I done to you?"

"Nothing...I did it to myself..."

"How?"

"We have special protocol for dealing with demons or problems. You're a demon, or became one, or something, so we should've killed you long ago. But we didn't. Because I convinced the higher-ups I could take care of you. That I would take responsibility for what you do. I did this to myself. You didn't know. You were just following your instincts. Having some fun. That's all I could expect from a time traveling demon thing like you..."

The group sat in silence, Will's eyes open, but unfocused, as if he was already at death's door. Fang Faith poked him in the ribs with her foot.

"Hey, Inu, he's really thin."

Inu felt his ribs, which would be visible if his shirt was off.

"Will, how long has it been since you ate?"

"...A few days..."

"Why?"

"I can't eat. I don't know why. I'm just rejecting food..."

"Something's bothering you."

"..."

He didn't reply. Inu got up.

"I know what I have to do..."

She stepped over Will, took her sword back, and began walking to the Library's door. Or where she thought it might be. Will's eyes unclouded a bit and he forced himself up a little.

"Where are you going?"

"...To do what I have to..."

Inu looked at him, the eye with the red 666 shining.

"What's a dog without loyalty? Sylvester. Fang Faith. Stay here with Will. Try to get some food into him. Sylvester, I release you from service to me. Fang Faith, I grant you the deed to the house."

The two demons exclaimed,

"No! You wouldn't! You can't!"

"Ah, but I am~ Do not stop me."

Inu jumped over the shelves of books, and before long, she was gone. Will collapsed, diving into unconsciousness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A week had passed. Inu still was gone and Will was at the house, slowly recovering. Right now he was asleep on the couch. Sylvester was still working to become a great butler. Will suddenly awoke with a scream, sitting bolt upright, panting and sweating. Fang Faith whipped around to him and Sylvester poked his head out.

"What's wrong!?"

"I-I dreamt...That Inu, that she, died, and gave her life for me...And, that she, she couldn't come back any more."

Fang Faith and Sylvester glanced at each other. Sylvester walked in, setting down a mixing bowl. Fang Faith rose from her desk, and they both sat next to Will. Fang Faith began slowly,

"Will, Undertaker got the Shinigami paper, and brought it to us, and, on the front page,"

Sylvester handed him a paper, and on the front page,

_DEMON REEKING HAVOC IN THE LONDON DISPATCH CAPTURED!_

_One week ago the demon was captured coming out of the Library of the London Dispatch. She gave herself up willingly, even surrendering some dangerous demon objects including a fan of angel feathers, a pair of paw shaped battle claws, an odd amulet, a wolf walking cane, three black roses, an owl feather, and a leather-bound book with a blue gem and an odd latch. A demon sword, the "Odoru akuma no ken", or "dancing demon sword", but she called it "Shi" meaning "death", was also taken. The demon was executed with her own sword, and the sword locked away. We can all sleep easier at night now that the demon is killed. Once and for all._

Will was numb. He read it over many times, before it registered.

"When she said, a dog is nothing without loyalty, she meant..."

"Yes. She gave herself up. For you. Will, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

The two got up and went to different rooms to give Will some time alone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Another week later, Undertaker, who was sad now that Inu was gone, opened a coffin, and inside, was a note. Just a note. He picked it out.

Undertaker. To you I pass a Code 6. Prepare the feast for my glorious return! - Inu

Undertaker grinned and mused,

_A Code 6? This will be fun indeed~_


End file.
